Christian Mission Heritage SeriesSeptember 15, 2009

Don ThompsonProfessor of Great Books & Mathematics

Cindy Miller-PerrinProfessor of Psychology

Chair of Social Science Division

Student Development Survey Goal: To understand how students define vocation and

develop their own personal sense of vocation

2002 – 2006 Surveyed 300 students Surveyed at 5 different time periods

Baseline – summer before beginning at Pepperdine Each spring throughout undergraduate career

Cell-Phone Text Message Poll

What is Vocation?

The secular definition views vocation as work or career

Vocation is God’s calling for one’s life – the reason God made you

Vocation is the intersection of faith development and identity development

Vocation is “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”

College years are “critical years” in vocational development

College students consider issues associated with personal identity, faith beliefs, and career options

Faith, identity, and vocational development are not uniform across the college years

Total applications: 6407, total enrolled: 815 (13%)

GPA 3.66 SAT Verbal 604 SAT Math 623 SAT Writing 610

Business

Communication

Fine Arts

Humanities

International Studies & Languages

Natural Science

Social Science

Undeclared

Students receive scores on four identity scales:◦ Diffusion: no exploration or commitment

“I haven’t really considered politics. It just doesn’t excite me much.”◦ Foreclosure: no exploration, but commitment

“My parents decided a long time ago what I should go into for employment and I’m following through with their plans.”

◦ Moratorium: exploration without commitment “Religion is confusing to me right now. I keep changing my views on what is

right and wrong for me.”◦ Achievement: exploration and commitment

“It took me a while to figure it out, but now I really know what I want for a career.”

10

15

20

25

30

35

Baseline First-Year Sophomore Junior Senior

Diffusion

Foreclosure

Moratorium

Achievement

Universal City, TXInternational Studies

- Political StudiesClass of 2010

Fulbright Scholarship

to Bangladesh or Peace Corps or

Graduate School at Columbia U.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Baseline

First-Year

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Faith

Religion

Subscales Sample Items

Strength of Belief(alpha = .81)

•I view myself as a religious person.•I have doubts about whether my religious beliefs are true.

Faith Behavior(alpha = .88)

•How often do you attend religious services?•How often have you read a devotional, religious, or spiritual book in the last year?

Application of Faith(alpha = .90)

•I depend on my faith in God for decision-making and direction.•I try hard to carry my religious beliefs into all other dealings in my life.

05

1015202530354045

Bas

elin

e

Fir

st Y

ear

So

ph

om

ore

Jun

ior

Sen

ior

Belief Strength

Behavior

Application

Strength of Belief varied significantly over time

Faith Behavior varied significantly over time

Application of Faith did not vary significantly over time

00.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

Baseline

First-Year

Sophomor

Junior

Senior

Financial

Personal

Service

Subscales Barriers to life purpose fulfillment

Personal Barriers(alpha = .84)

•Fear•Emotional Problems•Self-doubt•Lack of motivation

Interpersonal Barriers(alpha = .86)

•A parent•A friend•A boy/girl friend•A teacher or professor

Social and Cultural Barriers(alpha = .90)

•Lack of financial resources•Feeling pressure or a desire to get married•Feeling that my opportunities are limited by the gender stereotypes of society

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

Bas

elin

e

Fir

st Y

ear

So

ph

om

ore

Jun

ior

Sen

ior

Personal

Total Personal Barriers scores varied over time, marginally

Seattle, WashingtonPsychology Major

Class of 2009

Clinical Ph.D. student - Fuller Theological Seminary Student

College students experience significant developmental variation over time◦ Strength of faith belief◦ Faith behavior◦ Identity development

Foreclosure, Moratorium, Achievement

◦ Personal Barriers

Faith matters – Stay spiritually nourished, seek wisdom

Know Thyself – look for ways to challenge your assumptions

Barriers are real – live through and with them Sophomore year - expect a watershed Purpose - bigger and broader than your career

Cindy Miller-Perrin: Cindy.Perrin@pepperdine.edu

Don Thompson:thompson@pepperdine.edu